Like the title says, these are the ultimate chocolate cupcakes. They are perfectly moist and insanely chocolaty, topped with a supreme fudge chocolate frosting.

Looking for the perfect recipe can be exhausting because there are just so many out there. I’ve tried countless cupcakes over the years, but this is my top favorite recipe. I know we all have different preferences when it comes to our taste buds, but I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with this.

The cake itself is moist and tender, not too dense nor too light, with just the perfect crumb texture. This is the only cupcake batter I’ve used for years now. Sometimes I replace the ½ cup of milk in the recipe with an additional ½ cup hot water. I love both versions equally, so you can make the two of them and see which one you prefer. This recipe yields 16 cupcakes for me, but it might not be the same for you since each muffin tin brand is a bit different in its size capacity. Just fill the tins ¾ full with batter.

And then there’s the frosting. I’m talking deep, intense, chocolaty, fudge-consistency frosting. One that you’ll steal bites of from the bowl so many times that you’ll end up having nothing to frost your cupcakes with. The intense flavor comes from a combination of dark chocolate and cocoa powder. If you don’t want it too intense, add just a bit of cocoa powder at a time until you reach the desired taste. Then there’s some heavy cream and the other usual goodness such as butter and powdered sugar.

If you happen to have corn syrup, you can substitute some of the powdered sugar with it. This will make for an extra smooth frosting. Both natural unsweetened and Dutch-processed cocoa powder are ok, and either milk, semisweet, or bittersweet chocolate can be used.

It’s very important to sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, or else the frosting will be grainy. Also, make sure to beat the butter, sugar, and cocoa for at least 3-4 minutes, until completely smooth. If the frosting is still somewhat grainy, switch to the whisk attachment.

If you’re aiming for death by chocolate cupcakes, then would you like to be my best friend? Please think about it. I suggest adding chocolate ganache (half of the recipe is enough) as a filling, or adding 1/2 cup chocolate chunks or chips to the batter itself. But do prepare to meet death—in a totally good way.

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.

For the cupcakes: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. On medium speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.

With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Then beat in milk, followed by the other half of the dry ingredients, beating slowly until combined. Add hot water and beat just until combined. Do not overmix—the less you mix, the lighter the cake will be. The batter should be liquid.

Divide batter evenly between cups, filling them about ¾ full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Allow cupcakes to sit for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar in 2 additions and beat until smooth. Add cocoa powder and beat until completely creamy and smooth. Beat in vanilla extract, melted chocolate, and heavy cream, mixing until combined. Add powdered sugar as necessary until frosting is spreadable.

Use frosting immediately to frost cupcakes, or store in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. Before using, bring to room temperature and whisk until smooth.

Cupcakes are best the same day they’re made, but can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw, still covered, on the counter or overnight in the fridge.

I have been looking for a new go-to chocolate cupcake recipe because my current one is just a pain. I tried this recipe last night and they are amazing — like velvet! My husband, who isn’t a huge fan of chocolate, ate 3 for breakfast this morning and proclaimed them the most amazing cupcake he has ever eaten! I love everything about these cupcakes, especially how simple and virtually fool proof they are. I added chocolate chips and that took these cupcakes to the next level. Any recipe that is husband and toddler approved, is a keeper in my book. 🙂

Shiran

Making the cupcakes tonight for my daughters 3rd birthday tomorrow. Can I make the frosting tonight and store it overnight so I can frost the cupcakes right before the guests come over. What is the best way to store frosting?

Shiran

January 16, 2016 at 3:39 am (11 months ago)

Hi Jennifer, you can store the frosting in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. Before using, bring it to room temperature and whisk until smooth. If it’s just for the night, you can also leave it on the counter at room temperature (in an airtight container), and use it in the morning to frost the cupcakes. Happy birthday! 🙂

Made these today and they are absolutely Amazing!!!! The best chocolate cake ever and the frosting was great. I used the corn syrup with powdered sugar suggestion and couldn’t be happier! I’m trying out desserts for my daughter’s upcoming birthday party. Any recipes for white or another flavor?!

Shiran

January 21, 2016 at 5:09 am (11 months ago)

Hi Jessica! I’m so glad you like the cupcakes 🙂 There are so many good recipes so it’s hard to choose one! Are you looking for cupcake or cake recipes? You can find all the recipes in the recipe index, but if you want me to recommend something specifically, let me know 🙂 All the cupcakes are amazing (vanilla, peanut butter, lemon) if that’s what you’re looking for. Happy birthday to your daughter!

Shiran

January 22, 2016 at 5:50 pm (11 months ago)

Hi Heather 🙂 I usually use chocolate bars and not chocolate chips because the two can be a little different depending on the brand (in short – the reason for this is that chocolate chips need to keep their shape when heated, which is good for chocolate chip cookies for example). Usually the best thing to do is to taste the chocolate – if you like it, you can use it in the recipe. It’s just a matter of taste.

I just recently made these and they came out really good. I didn’t have actual chocolate for the frosting, so I made a chocolate paste with cocoa powder and vegetable oil instead and it still came out good.

Shiran

I made these for my husband’s birthday this weekend and they were a huge hit! I did make two changes that you might want to try sometime – first, I replaced both the milk and hot water in the cupcake batter with 1 cup of hot brewed coffee (I love coffee in chocolate cake batter). Then, out of necessity because I inexplicably didn’t have any dark chocolate, I used 2 oz. of melted unsweetened baking chocolate in the frosting. The result was delicious, but I’m sure it would have been just as good if I’d been able to follow the recipe as written! Also, as others have said, your recipe makes the perfect amount of frosting for the cupcakes. Thanks for a great dessert!

Shiran

February 10, 2016 at 10:20 am (10 months ago)

I’ve tried these cupcakes using water, milk, and coffee. All options are great but you’re right, coffee does bring out the chocolate flavor and I add it to chocolate desserts often. Thank you for your comment Erin, and I wish your husband a happy birthday! 🙂

Shiran

February 24, 2016 at 8:56 am (10 months ago)

Thank you, Liz! It’s a matter of personal preference so I suggest to try and see because both versions are delicious. Milk adds flavor and the extra fat makes the cake more moist, but with the water it would be lighter. Also, in some chocolate cake recipes hot water is mixed with cocoa powder usually because it enhances the chocolate flavor (and you can try it in this recipe, too).

Shiran

March 6, 2016 at 3:35 pm (9 months ago)

Hi Naseerah! These cupcakes turn out quite dark even when using natural cocoa powder. If you want them to be very dark, you can substitute the natural cocoa with dutch-process, and the baking soda with 2 teaspoons of baking powder.

Shiran

March 8, 2016 at 1:51 am (9 months ago)

Hi Danielle! Cakes made from scratch are usually different than a cake mix, especially in texture. The cupcakes shouldn’t be dry at all. There are 2 reasons why they might have turned dry – either over-baking them, or over-mixing the batter (mix as little as possible once the flour is added).

Shiran

5 STARS!
These cupcakes are absolutely delicious! I added 1 tsp Perro to the hot water. And because I didn’t have enough butter for the icing, and I didn’t want to go to the store, I improvised with whatever coconut oil and shortening I had. Oh! and I put a few drops of almond extract in with the vanilla. They were great and loved by all! Thank you for this recipe. It is a keeper =)

Shiran

April 9, 2016 at 9:17 am (8 months ago)

Hi Madison, it’s possible to make the frosting using only cocoa powder without dark chocolate, but in that case, you won’t only need to increase the amount of cocoa powder, but probably also the powdered sugar and heavy cream. Using dark chocolate (bittersweet or semisweet) yield the best result.

These turned out absolutely GORGEOUS! They are so delicious, moist and perfectly chocolatey but not too overpowering. I will definitely recommend this recipe to all my family and friends. Just amazing.

Hi. These cupcakes look yummy. I love chocolate and wud definitely try this. I just have one query, my family is pure veg. Is there any way I can substitute or remove eggs ? Wud be glad to know the answer.

Shiran

This is a good recipe. The first time I made it, I thought it was lacking chocolate flavor, but the cupcakes were very moist. On my second attempt I only had about 130 grams of flour and made up the difference with cocoa powder. I decided to use a full cup of water and added maybe a tablespoon of espresso powder, I used half white/half brown sugar, also added a bit more vanilla. These adjustments were perfect! The cake is still moist, but the chocolate flavor is much more intense! Also, the second time I baked in a 9×13, same temp for about 23 minutes.

Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s fantastic. I was going to try a few different chocolate cake recipes, but after the first batch of cupcakes came out of the oven and I tried them, I turned right around and made these for the second batch as well! I substituted coffee for the hot water. Brilliant recipe, thanks again!

Shiran

These were great! I even messed up and accidentally put in a whole cup of milk so had to double the recipe at the end. I slowly mixed all of the extra ingredients and made a small cake with the extra batter. Even with messing up the order, the cupcakes turned out well! They’re a bit moist and really tasty!

Oh my goodness these cupcakes are AMAZING !! I’ve made them about three time now and every time people don’t believe me I made them from scratch they taste that good ! The best choc cupcake reciepe out there THANKYOU !